Ikebana courses in Helsinki

Most of our courses are taught in Finnish. The language of instruction is always shown in the course details in the registration system. See all our courses taught in English.

About the art of ikebana

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, developed from Buddhist temple arrangements in the sixth century first into an art practised by the imperial court and the nobility, and later into a broad art form with many different styles. Something constantly evolving and changing is an essential part of the long tradition of ikebana.

The Sogetsu School was founded in 1927, when Sofu Teshigahara set out to develop traditional ikebana expression. His idea was ikebana that could be created anywhere, at any time and from any material. Sogetsu means ‘grass and moon’. Today, Sogetsu is one of the most international Japanese schools of ikebana.

Studying ikebana and Sogetsu qualifications

You start studying ikebana with basic arrangements called kakei. The studies focus on building a three-dimensional arrangement and on different materials and techniques. At the same time, you learn to see the importance of the three basic elements of line, colour and mass in your arrangements and begin to create balance and tension in them.

If you wish, you can also take Sogetsu School qualifications. Students who have successfully completed the kakei studies can obtain the Yonkyu and Sankyu certificates from Tokyo. After the basic studies, the focus moves to creative ikebana, and the advanced studies can lead to the Nikyu and Ikkyu certificates. After the advanced studies, you can move on to teacher studies and complete the studies leading to a Sogetsu School ikebana teacher qualification.

Which ikebana course is right for you?

If you want to…	Explore
start ikebana from the very beginning	Ikebana 1 – beginners
revise the basics or continue from them	Ikebana 1 – beginners, Ikebana 2 – improvers
study ikebana on Sundays	Ikebana 2 – improvers
deepen your skills in free-style arrangements	Ikebana 3 – themed workshop for advanced students

Ikebana courses in spring 2027

This list is based on our published spring 2027 course programme. You can find up-to-date information, course descriptions and available places in our registration system. All courses are held in our building at Runeberginkatu 22–24 and are taught in Finnish by Jaana Pirhonen, Sogetsu ikebana teacher (2nd Jonin Sanyo, STA).

• Ikebana 1 – beginners: Thu 4 March, Mon 8 March, Tue 9 March and Mon 15 March 2027 17.15–20.15, €145. For beginners and those revising the basics. You learn about the history of ikebana and its role in Japanese culture today and make basic arrangements, their variations and free-style arrangements.
• Ikebana 2 – improvers: Sundays 11–25 April 2027 10.15–15.15, €162. Suitable for both beginners and those who have practised ikebana for a long time. If you have more experience, you deepen your understanding of the basic elements of Sogetsu and learn to make increasingly expressive arrangements. Teaching includes demonstrations by the teacher, slide presentations and looking at the finished arrangements together.
• Ikebana 3 – themed workshop for advanced students: Mon–Wed 31 May–2 June 2027 17.15–20.15, €110. For those who have mastered the basic techniques of ikebana. You make free-style arrangements on seasonal themes and get ideas from the work of other ikebana artists.

Explore also

• Visual arts courses: drawing, painting, printmaking and calligraphy.
• Culture, society and environment courses: flower arranging, gardening and cultural courses.
• Japanese language courses: Japanese from beginner level.
• Ikebana – the Japanese art of flower arranging: an article about ikebana.

Good to know

• Location: Helsingin aikuisopisto, Runeberginkatu 22–24, Helsinki. Arrival instructions
• Materials: Plant materials are not included in the course price. The teacher will email you instructions for buying materials about a week before the course starts. Bring your own scissors, such as ikebana scissors or small bypass garden secateurs. You can borrow vases and holders from the teacher.
• Snacks: There is a kitchen on the third floor of our building, where you can use the microwave and fridge. There is no cutlery in the kitchen. Coffee and snack machines are on the first and fourth floors.
• Language of instruction: Our spring ikebana courses are taught in Finnish.
• Payment: You can pay for the courses with Edenred and Epassi sports and culture benefits. Read more about paying with benefits

Register for ikebana courses

Browse all our ikebana courses and register online. For more information about our ikebana courses, please contact Juha Okko, Head of Training, at juha.okko@helao.fi.